Family Traits is about the arrival of the Skipper clan in the New World and the detrimental impact they had on it. Don't let the sweet faced Indian maiden on the cover fool you, this is not a romance. Here is a review written by a kind reader/writer, JT Kalnay, the author of the The Keeper and The Pattern and The Point.

Decades of Distilling and Deceit

Family Traits is historical fiction written by a descendant of the Skipper family who landed in Virgina/Carolina in the late 1600s. The book begins with Native Americans watching a meteor streaking across the sky. A shaman and a warrior seek the meteor that arrived from the east, from across the water. As we learn, the meteor was a harbinger of trouble to come to their people from that direction. Following the foreshadowing of the meteor, we meet three brothers who have just witnessed the beheading of King Charles. These Skipper brothers decide to head to America before they experience the same fate as their father who had supported the King. After adventures at sea and in the Caribbean, where they learn to distill rum, they finally arrive in America. Fortunately they are met by friendly Indians who share food, water, women, women, and more women. With all these women, and with the influence of their distillery, the Skipper brothers quickly run afoul of the "White Devil" English and find themselves becoming more Indian than English. Over the generations covered by the story, civilization and society spread farther and farther into the Indian country, eventually leading to inevitable conflicts, culminating in the Battle of Alamance. The book never takes itself too seriously and pokes fun at many societal norms that made no sense for the time and place. At times I was reminded of Edward Rutherford's London and at other times I was reminded of the early portions of Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales. I think many readers will thoroughly enjoy this slightly irreverent trip through the legends of Mr. Skipper's immigrant ancestors.

When settling down to read a novel based on someone else's genealogical history there is always a niggling fear that it will be something like sitting through your neighbor's vacation slide show; interesting to them but interminable to you. In the Blood is nothing like this. Being based on genealogical research there is a certain amount of so-and-so beget so-and so, who despite being married to so-and-so beget so-and-so, but it is also a relatively fast paced read based on a truly interesting character who also happens to find himself in gripping circumstances.

George Washington Skipper is amorous to say the least, swept up in the Confederate spirit of the American Civil war, enlightened about the true doldrums of that (and probably every) war, discouraged by the perceived injustices of Reconstruction, and eventually the father of dozens of children by a variety of women, very few of whom he ever supported in any fashion. Ultimately he is seen to be an even minded good man, but he systematically wrongs woman after woman throughout the book. However, given the time in which he lived it is unfortunately true that his actions may not have been as unusual as it seems to the modern reader.

For me there was also a special thrill. As a member of 'the 10th' in the Confederate Army, Washington and his cohorts march back and forwards through middle Tennessee. This is home turf for me and it was really interesting to hear about the skirmishes that happened in towns I've lived in and around.

For those who have an interest the Civil War and the life of the average man (ie not the famous names of the times) In the Blood is a definite recommended read. I think there is a tendency to idealize the past and this book provides a refreshingly realistic look at a difficult period American History. Check it out.

New & natural way to weight loss. Not another diet and vigorous exercise or some nutrient, vitamin, hormone, and drug that I am promoting. With child obesity at national emergency levels (that has involved first lady Michelle now); it is time to treat those fat, unhealthy, undisciplined, drug infested bodies with a technique that works. This book is here to help you with that. Good Luck!

Tom's Adventures in Alaska is a series of books chronicling the experiences Tom has as he travels through Alaska and British Columbia. He starts the series aboard a commercial fishing boat as a greenhorn and as the series continues he travels through Alaska and British Columbia. He meets many new friends who add a lot of character to the stories. Along the way, Tom falls in love with the beautiful Swan who adds more than a hint of lust and humor to the series. Tom collects treasures along the way to remind him of his adventures. This series is based on the personal experiences of the author but mostly fiction. The series is written for the general adult audience and contains coarse language and sexual content. This series will continue beyond the currently released books with the next book “Fish Hooks and Totem Poles” and several more titles.

The most powerful book on breathing that not only explains what many people learn in expensive workshops and remote retreats but very personal routine the author follows. Several independent studies on breathing are given that confirm the practitioners of breathing techniques not only experience physical and mental comfort, but discover cures for illnesses such as asthma.

The churches have not given an acceptable answer to this question. Their inability to answer this question creates great doubt as to the accuracy of the Bible. More and more Christians are giving up on defending the Bible.

It is vitally important for Christians to be able to answer this question because it relates to defending the fact that all humans are descendants of Adam and Eve and only their descendants can be saved.

Cain’s wife has been talked about in countries all over the world for hundreds of years.

Skeptics of the Bible have used Cain’s wife time and again to try to discredit the book of Genesis as a true historical record.

This story of Cain’s Wife is my initial attempt to reconcile the Bible with the undisputable scientific evidence for creative evolution. I have combined 4 sets of information: The current Bible, the old Bible before the major changes in late BC and early AD, other Ancient Literature, and the scientific facts of creation/evolution.

I try to clarify why the Bible gives 2 accounts of the creation of Adam and Eve.

The Bible actually describes the creation of 2 women for him. The first was Lilith (Genesis 1:27) but her name was removed from the current Bible. However her name can be seen in the older version of the Bible that existed before later day changes were made.

The creation of Eve, Adam’s second mate, was created from Adam’s rib and is described in Genesis 2:18.

Lilith has been systematically removed from the Bible, except for one reference in Isaiah 34:14.

Not only was Lilith removed from the Bible, but she was demonized.

The facts remain that she did exist and she did have children that are mentioned throughout the ancient literature. At lease one of her daughters was called Lilim.

The churches have not given an acceptable answer to this question. Their inability to answer this question creates great doubt as to the accuracy of the Bible. More and more Christians are giving up on defending the Bible.

It is vitally important for Christians to be able to answer this question because it relates to defending the fact that all humans are descendants of Adam and Eve and only their descendants can be saved.

Cain’s wife has been talked about in countries all over the world for hundreds of years.

Skeptics of the Bible have used Cain’s wife time and again to try to discredit the book of Genesis as a true historical record.

This story of Cain’s Wife is my initial attempt to reconcile the Bible with the undisputable scientific evidence for creative evolution. I have combined 4 sets of information: The current Bible, the old Bible before the major changes in late BC and early AD, other Ancient Literature, and the scientific facts of creation/evolution.

I try to clarify why the Bible gives 2 accounts of the creation of Adam and Eve.

The Bible actually describes the creation of 2 women for him. The first was Lilith (Genesis 1:27) but her name was removed from the current Bible. However her name can be seen in the older version of the Bible that existed before later day changes were made.

The creation of Eve, Adam’s second mate, was created from Adam’s rib and is described in Genesis 2:18.

Lilith has been systematically removed from the Bible, except for one reference in Isaiah 34:14.

Not only was Lilith removed from the Bible, but she was demonized.

The facts remain that she did exist and she did have children that are mentioned throughout the ancient literature. At lease one of her daughters was called Lilim.

President Eisenhower led us to victory in World War II. He then led our country as President for 8 years. He understood war and he understood how Washington worked.

The major message he gave us as he left the presidency was:

Beware of the Military Industrial Complex.

His warning was very appropriate but it was not heeded by our nation. I know because I not only witnessed it being ignored, but I participated in using the power of the Military Industrial Complex during my aerospace career.

Reagan’s Star Wars describes why and how the power of the Military Industrial Complex gave birth to the Strategic Defense Initiative known as Star Wars.

*****

By the early 1980s it was becoming clear that the USSR would fail. The major US Aerospace companies who were dependent on military spending were growing concerned that peace would be declared and the military budgets would be significantly decreased.

They had to do something!

Most of the major US Aerospace Companies maintained a study staff to assess military needs and likely budget actions; and, of course to try to influence such actions and budgets.

I know the details of the Martin Marietta Aerospace Company’s studies and the resulting pitches to the military, congress, NATO, and all affected agencies including the President because I was a corporate Vice President and well aware of our studies. I also had some awareness of such studies at Lockheed Aerospace Company because we had a close relationship with them.

The two Companies eventually merged and is now Lockheed Martin Aerospace Company.

Their studies viewed the sharp drops in military budgets at the end of military threats like World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam.

They feared that peace would break out and the budgets would be significantly decreased, maybe even as severe as happened after World War II. President Carter had already dropped the budget to the lowest it had been in over 25 years.

The US military budgets would certainly be decreased. What could the Aerospace Giants do to continue our enriched lifestyles?

They reasoned that seeking funds for new weapons in a peace time or seeking funds to “patch” existing weapons would not result in the magnitude of budgets that they needed.

They put a study together that showed the merits of pursuing a leap frog to the current weapons technology and jumping into technology of the future. They started preaching such a strategy to the US military, to Congress, to the President, NATO and any agency that would listen.

The pitch got honed until it began to make sense. The Strategic Defense Initiative, later known as Star Wars, was about to be born.

We honed our pitches first with the military staffs in the Pentagon, then the staffers of the key military committees in Congress. Then we were ready for the President.

I remember a key pitch to the President that I believe really convinced him in the merits of pursuing a leap frog to current technology. The pitch was about how we could use the workings of the brain of a tiny insect to control the battle field.

President Reagan was sold.

The military budgets ceased the Carter decline and began to rise.

The military industrial complex was working; the military budgets were saved.

President Reagan absorbed and understood our “pitches” and proposed a new program: The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) on March 23, 1983. It was to replace the insane old strategic plan of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) that had been in place for many years.

The President’s proposal was accepted by the military and Congress and SDI was set up in the Pentagon in 1984.

The day after President Reagan’s announcement the Washington Post published a quote from Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy describing the proposal as "reckless Star Wars schemes."

This is a practical guide that combines stress treatment approaches recognized for centuries by faith healers and meditation experts, and are now accepted by modern medical practitioners. It can save you from going to expensive seminars and other programs offered in physicians' offices, spas, schools or retirement centers; because it provides relaxation techniques that you can follow yourself.

In the year 2053 the dead walked. Mankind was caught off guard at first but within six years mounted a massive military assault on the dead.

These are the stories of some of those men and women that fought back. These are the stories of some trying to find a “cure”. These are the stories of those that are just trying to survive the nightmare of the walking dead. These are the stories of those that caused The Dead War.

New & natural way to weight loss. Not another diet and vigorous exercise or some nutrient, vitamin, hormone, and drug that I am promoting. With child obesity at national emergency levels (that has involved first lady Michelle now); it is time to treat those fat, unhealthy, undisciplined, drug infested bodies with a technique that works. This book is here to help you with that. Good Luck!